Garment-support.



J. W. FLAGG.

GARMENT SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1907.

1,079,330. Patented 1m, 25, 1913.

ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOSEPH WALTER FLAGG, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY A. WALKER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GARMENT-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application filed January 29, 1907. Serial No. 354,633.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, J osErI-I WVALTER FLAoo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vorcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in Garment-Supports, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, in which Figure 1 represents a frontview of a garment support embodying my invention, the normal position of a button supported thereby being shown in broken lines. Fig. 2 is a front view of the garment support showing the position assumed by the elastic tips while a button is being introduced into the lower loop. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the garment support.

Similar reference letters and figures refer to similar parts in the difi'erent views.

The garment support forming the subject of my present invention is designed to be attached at one end to a strap or portion of a garment, such for example as a sus ponder or stocking support, and the other end is adapted to inclose the shank of a but ton within a loo-p whose diameter is less than the button.

The rment support is constructed from a single piece of elastic steel wire, the central section of which forms a straight bar 1 adapted to be attached to the end of a suspender denoted in Fig. 1 by the broken line 2. The wire is then bent, preferably at acute angles at 3, 23, forming converging sections 4, 4, preferably straight. The wire is then bent at obtuse angles at 5, 5, forming para].- lel sections 6, 6, which are returned upon themselves in overlapping U-shaped bends 7, with the ends of the wire preferably bent into eyes 8 forming elastic tips. The distance between the parallel sections 6, 6, is less than the length of the central section or portion 1.

The triangular space inolosed between the bar 1 and sections 4, 4, is sufficientto allow the button to pass, while the space between the parallel sides of the U-shaped bends 7 is sufficient to receive the shank of the button, but less than the diameter of the button, so that when the shank of the button is drawn into the loop formed by the U-sha-ped bends, it will occupy the position indicated by the circular broken line 9, while the position of the button will be represented by the circular broken line 1.0. In forming the eyes 8, 8, upon the ends of the wire, the wire is bent inwardly so that the space between the eyes 8, 8, will be less than the diameterof the shank of the button, so that in moving the shank of. the button from the triangular space 11 into the contracted space 12, it will be necessary to force the eyes 8, 8, or elastic tips, apart against the tension of the wire. The proximity of the eyes 8, 8, to each other prevents the accidental disengagement of the garment support from the button, when the shank of the button has beendrawn .into the space 12, for in order to remove the button from the support it is necessary to move the shank through the contracted space bet-ween the eyes 8, thereby producing a separation of the eyes into the position shown in Fig. 2.

My improved garment support not only prevents the accidental displacement of the button, but it enables the support to be made from a single piece of wire without the use of any ferrules or sleeves to cover the joint between any ends of the wire. The ends of the wire forming the U-shaped bends 7 and the eyes 8 overlap each other forming two thicknesses of wire, and in order to reduce the thickness of the double portion of the support, and also to enable the two ends to slide ,freely upon each other, I flatten the wire between its ends and the bends 5, so that in the expansion and contraction of the looped ends of the wire, which occurs whenever the shank of a button passes between the eyes 8, the fiat contacting surfaces of the wires slide upon each other.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the enlarged space 11 as triangular, but I do not wish to confine myself to any particular shape, it only being necessary that the space 11 be suflicient to provide for the admission of the button in order to allowits shank to be drawn into the contracted space 12, and between the elastic tips formed by the eyes 8 which normally project into the contracted space 12. By forming the eyes 8 on the ends of the wire I secure rounded surfaces which facilitates the movement of the shank of the button between the elastic tips.

The sides in the vicinity of the obtuse angled bends 5 are offset, as shown at 14, 14,

one side being ofltset in one direction and the opposite side being offset in the opposite direction, to enable the eyes 8 forming the elastic tips of the Wire'to be brought into the same plane, the amount of the ofiset being substantially equal to the thickness of the Wire after the same has been flattened.

As shown in Fig. 3, the return bends 7 lie in planes which intersect at the ends of the parallel'sections 6, the ends of the return bends 7 crossing the planes of said parallel sections. The two overlapping loops or bends 7' constitute lateral branches of the central portion 1, these branches being reversely laterally and inwardly bent and terminatingin the eyes 8 which lie in the same plane "and Which, as already described, normallylie close together to form a contracted 1 entrance to the loops 7.

I claim. 1. Aclasp member for garment supporters having a central transverse portion, converging sections at each end of said central portion, parallel sections at the ends of said converging sections, With the distance between said parallel sections less than the length of said central portion, with return bends in planes intersecting with each other at the ends of said parallel sections, and with the ends of said return bends crossing the planes of said parallel sections.

2. A clasp member for garment supporters formed of a single piece of Wire having a central transverse portion, lateral branches reversely laterally and inwardly bent to form two overlapping loops ter minating in eyes which lie in. the same plane, and Which normally lie close together to form a contracted entrance to said loops.

J. WALTER FLAGG.

Vitnesses:

RUFUS B. FOWLER, PENELOPE COMBERBAGI-L Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

